Photo By Russell Toof | U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Mohamed Kaba.... read more read more
Learning English on your own in three months is not a typical thing for someone born in the Republic Of Guinea and educated in France. For U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Mohamed Kaba, he couldn’t have imagined taking a different path in life.
Guinea is a small country in West Africa and only gained its independence from France 60 years ago. Agriculture employs more than three-fourths of the nation's labor force. The literacy rate is one of the lowest in the world. Kaba was in the minority, moving to France and studying law. He concentrated on civil law, assisting families. He visited the U.S. for the first time in 2006 and moved permanently in 2007.
“Coming to the U.S. was a wakeup call. I’m thankful to France for my education however the U.S. is a land of opportunity. People are more open-minded here,” he said.
Kaba tuned his sites towards the Army shortly after coming to America. “The good thing about the U.S., and especially the Army, is it’s a melting-pot. It doesn’t matter your background, where you are from, your religion. If you want to be successful, the Army will give you the tools to make it happen,” he said.
He wanted to be a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer but wasn’t a citizen and couldn’t hold a security clearance but was able to enlist. “I started as a logistic specialist but after six years of active duty, I wanted something bigger than just me.”
Kaba volunteered for recruiting towards the end of 2016 and started in April last year. “I’m grateful to my family and especially my leadership for their support.”
He’s currently assigned to Baltimore Battalion, 1st Recruiting Brigade. The Baltimore Recruiting Battalion recruits Soldiers, both officers and enlisted, to meet the needs of an expeditionary Army; to help the individual begin the transformation from civilian to Soldier.
Spending time with Kaba, you get a sense of how much he truly enjoys this line of work. “They give me a government car with a gas card and an EZ-Pass, so I don’t mind going out and finding recruits,” he said with a big smile across his face.
He added “without my Future Soldiers, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I thank them for the trust they put in me.”
| Date Taken: | 04.27.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.27.2018 09:41 |
| Story ID: | 274759 |
| Location: | FORT MEADE, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 241 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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